Super-agent Zahavi poised for Portsmouth takeover

Pini Zahavi is closing in on a takeover deal for Portsmouth that could yet include Avram Grant and Croatia coach Slaven Bilic.

Sportsmail revealed last week that Portsmouth had held preliminary talks with potential new owners from South Africa but Israeli super-agent Zahavi, 65, is believed to be further advanced and could close a deal soon.

Secret agent: Pini Zahavi is believed to be involved in a potential takeover of Portsmouth.

Former journalist Zahavi, who has an estimated personal wealth of around £60million and represents players such as Rio Ferdinand, is friends with Portsmouth owner Sacha Gaydamak and played a role in helping him to buy the club in January 2006.

But Gaydamak has now made it clear that he is willing to listen to offers and Zahavi set up several business meetings in an attempt to put together a consortium that could match the asking price of around £70m which would include the club's debts.

Zahavi's ideal would be to then bring in emerging players from around the world to sign on for Portsmouth.

He has also staged a series of meetings with his friend and former Chelsea coach Avram Grant who could return as a director of football - a role he fulfilled at Portsmouth before his switch to Stamford Bridge.

During his time at Fratton Park, Grant also struck up a good relationship with current Portsmouth manager Tony Adams but Zahavi was due to meet Slaven Bilic last week.

And the Croatia national team coach could yet come into the picture should the other consortium members want someone considered a bigger managerial name than Adams, or a coach with greater high-level experience.

Grant has made no secret of his desire to return to the Premier League. He said: 'I love the Premier League. All my life I wanted to come to the Premier League especially when I have such good memories from a professional level.

'I like to coach, I like the challenge so anything that is a challenge is good for me.'

However, talk of the likely transition is believed to be unsettling some staff at Portsmouth, although first-team coach Joe Jordan's departure yesterday - with Tottenham almost certainly his destination - was more down to his relationship with former Pompey boss Harry Redknapp, now in charge at Spurs.

Jordan, 56, spent four years at Fratton Park during which time he briefly took over the first team on a caretaker basis.

Adams, who has already been turned down by former Arsenal teammate Martin Keown, is hoping to unveil his own coaching team next week.

He has reportedly also been in contact with former Highbury legend Dennis Bergkamp.